‘Aztec Motto,’ a hip-hop ode to this year’s Aztecs basketball team, tallied nearly 36,000 unique views on YouTube after Aztec basketball player Tim Shelton posted it on his account Jan. 15. (Jan. 20 Update: the video has now been viewed more than 75,000 times.)

Awed by the response, Shelton credited his teammates and all the enthusiastic fans of Aztec Nation.

“I did have high expectations for the video,” said Shelton, who graduated last spring and is persuing his master's degree in post secondary education. “It was an incredible process and it was great to be a part of it, but I couldn’t have done it without the team.”

Supporting cast

The video marries Shelton’s Red & Black-fueled lyrics with his teammates’ hold-your-breath dunks. It also includes students from “the Show,” the rollicking student section that many experts call the best of its kind.

If (Shelton) doesn't make it in basketball, he's going to give Ice Cube a run for his money.

Teammate Chase Tapley was impressed by the reaction from Internet viewers.

“It is just awesome to see this thing go live and now to see how big it has gotten,” Tapley said.Production by a student, for the students

Videographer and computer science major Aubry Wiltcher directed the production. Wiltcher founded Life Captured Media, whose five members recorded and produced the video.

Not just for kids

When asked about the video, Aztec Coach Steve Fisher just smiled and made it clear he was not surprised about its popularity.

“Tim asked me to preview it to the team before the last game, and I was just as excited as they were,” Fisher said. “If he doesn’t make it in basketball, he’s going to give Ice Cube a run for his money.”